Look Beneath the Bluster

Never give up; you never know until you try.

A dear friend is dealing with late-stage pancreatic cancer. Though he has been sick for several years, the cause of his complaints remained a mystery until recently. He is getting his affairs in order, hoping that he has time to do so. Like many of us, he put some important things off because he thought he had plenty of time to do them tomorrow, or the day after that, or the day after that . . .


“W” has always been stubborn and full of life. You might even describe him as full of a certain substance and vinegar. (You know the saying.) He has been like a father to me, so it’s hard to watch his façade of cool control slip. I knew all along that he was so much bluster covering a soft and deeply-wounded heart, and I have accepted and loved him for the gruff jokester that he has been.

Many times over the years, “W” has said completely outrageous things just to see how people would react. He could be off-putting if you took him seriously, and he was so good at spouting balderdash that you couldn’t tell whether he was serious or not. I learned to look beneath the bluster to the gentle man that he was—and is, and my life has been better for having known him. I hope and pray that I will have more time with him.

“W” hasn’t come to a place of realizing just how much God loves him; he hasn’t said so, at least. That’s my biggest concern, because I hate to think of someone enduring the tribulations “W” has and end up facing something as horrible as cancer without embracing God’s immeasurable love and acceptance.

My challenge today is for everyone to look beneath the balderdash, the gruff exterior, the bluster, to the flawed, hurting human hiding in the shadows. Love him. Love her. God does. Most importantly, share the truth of God’s love and mercy with him or her.